The instruction given by a Shaykh to disciples, or by a prophet to a people, who are unable to receive the Divine lesson and have no familiar acquaintance with God, may be compared with the case of a parrot which has no such acquaintance with the (inward) form of a man, so that it should be able to receive instruction (directly) from him. God most High holds the Shaykh in front of the disciple, as the mirror (is held) in front of the parrot, while He (Himself) dictates from behind the mirror, saying, “Do not move thy tongue to hasten it (the Revelation); it is naught but an inspiration that is inspired (by God).” This is the beginning of an endless problem. When the parrot, which ye call the image, moves its beak in the mirror, the movement is not (made) by its own volition and power: it is the reflexion of the (movement made in) articulation by the parrot outside, which is the learner; not the reflexion of (the movement made by) the Teacher behind the mirror; but the external parrot's articulation is controlled by the Teacher. This, then, is (only) a comparison, not a (complete) similitude.

طوطیی در آینه می‌بیند او ** عکس خود را پیش او آورده رو 1430

A parrot sees its reflexion (image) facing it in the mirror.

در پس آیینه آن استا نهان ** حرف می‌گوید ادیب خوش‌زبان

The teacher is concealed behind the mirror: that sweet-tongued well-instructed man is talking.

طوطیک پنداشته کین گفت پست ** گفتن طوطیست که اندر آینه‌ست

The little parrot thinks that these words uttered in low tones are spoken by the parrot in the mirror.

پس ز جنس خویش آموز سخن ** بی‌خبر از مکر آن گرگ کهن

Therefore it learns (human) speech from one of its own kind, being unaware of the cunning of that old wolf.

از پس آیینه می‌آموزدش ** ورنه ناموزد جز از جنس خودش

He is teaching it behind the mirror; otherwise (it would not talk, for) it does not learn except from its congeners.

گفت را آموخت زان مرد هنر ** لیک از معنی و سرش بی‌خبر 1435

It (really) learned to talk from that accomplished man, but it is ignorant of his meaning and mystery.

از بشر بگرفت منطق یک به یک ** از بشر جز این چه داند طوطیک

It received speech, word by word, from Man; (but) what should the little parrot know of Man except this?

هم‌چنان در آینه‌ی جسم ولی ** خویش را بیند مردی ممتلی

Similarly, the disciple full (of egoism) sees himself in the mirror of the Shaykh's body.

از پس آیینه عقل کل را ** کی ببیند وقت گفت و ماجرا

How should he see Universal Reason behind the mirror at the time of speech and discourse?

او گمان دارد که می‌گوید بشر ** وان گر سرست و او زان بی‌خبر

He supposes that a man is speaking; and the other (Universal Reason) is a mystery of which he is ignorant.

حرف آموزد ولی سر قدیم ** او نداند طوطی است او نی ندیم 1440

He learns the words, but the eternal mystery he cannot know, for he is a parrot, not a boon-companion.

هم صفیر مرغ آموزند خلق ** کین سخن کار دهان افتاد و حلق

Likewise, people learn the note of birds, for this speech (of birds) is an affair of the mouth and throat;

لیک از معنی مرغان بی‌خبر ** جز سلیمان قرانی خوش‌نظر

But (all are) ignorant of the birds' meaning, except an august Solomon of goodly insight.

حرف درویشان بسی آموختند ** منبر و محفل بدان افروختند

Many learned the language of (true) dervishes and gave lustre therewith to the pulpit and assembly-place.

یا به جز آن حرفشان روزی نبود ** یا در آخر رحمت آمد ره نمود

Either nothing was bestowed upon them except those (formal) expressions, or at last (the Divine) mercy came and revealed the (right) way.

A mystic saw a bitch big with young, in whose womb the young were barking. He remained in amazement, saying, “The reason of a dog's barking is to keep watch (against strangers): to bark in the mother's womb is not (for the purpose of) keeping watch; and, again, barking may be a call for help, or its cause may be a desire for milk, etc.; and there is no such purpose in this case.” When he came to himself, he made supplication to God—and none knoweth the interpretation thereof except Allah. Answer came: “It represents the state of a party who pretend to (spiritual) insight and utter (mystical) sayings without having come forth from the veil (of materiality) and before the eyes of their hearts have been opened. Thence neither to themselves do strength and support accrue, nor to their hearers any guidance and right direction.”

آن یکی می‌دید خواب اندر چله ** در رهی ماده سگی بد حامله 1445

During a chila (forty days' religious seclusion), a certain man dreamed that he saw a bitch big with young on a road.

ناگهان آواز سگ‌بچگان شنید ** سگ‌بچه اندر شکم بد ناپدید

Suddenly he heard the cry of puppies: the puppies were in the womb, invisible.

بس عجب آمد ورا آن بانگها ** سگ‌بچه اندر شکم چون زد ندا

The yelps astonished him exceedingly: (he wondered) how the puppies called out in the womb.

سگ‌بچه اندر شکم ناله کنان ** هیچ‌کس دیدست این اندر جهان

Puppies howling in the womb—“has any one,” (he thought), “ever seen this in the world?”

چون بجست از واقعه آمد به خویش ** حیرت او دم به دم می‌گشت بیش

When he sprang up from his dream and came to himself, his perplexity was increasing at every moment.

در چله کس نی که گردد عقده حل ** جز که درگاه خدا عز و جل 1450

During the chila there was none by whom the knot should be untied except the Presence of God Almighty and Glorious.

گفت یا رب زین شکال و گفت و گو ** در چله وا مانده‌ام از ذکر تو

He said, “O Lord, on account of this difficulty and debate I am deprived of recollection (dhikr) of Thee during the chila.

پر من بگشای تا پران شوم ** در حدیقه‌ی ذکر و سیبستان شوم

Loose my wings, that I may soar and enter the garden of recollection and the apple-orchard (of gnosis).”

آمدش آواز هاتف در زمان ** که آن مثالی دان ز لاف جاهلان

At once (in reply) there came to him a mysterious voice, saying, “Know that it is an emblem of the idle talk of the ignorant,

کز حجاب و پرده بیرون نامده ** چشم بسته بیهده گویان شده

Who, without having come forth from the veil and curtain, (being) blindfold have begun to speak in vain.”

بانگ سگ اندر شکم باشد زیان ** نه شکارانگیز و نه شب پاسبان 1455

The yelp of the dog in the womb is (useless) loss: (in such a case) he is neither a starter of hunted animals nor a keeper of watch by night.

گرگ نادیده که منع او بود ** دزد نادیده که دفع او شود

He has not seen the wolf, so as to prevent him; he has not seen the robber, so as to repel him.

از حریصی وز هوای سروری ** در نظر کند و بلافیدن جری

He (a man of this sort), because of covetousness and desire for eminence, is dull as regards (spiritual) vision and bold in prating.

از هوای مشتری و گرم‌دار ** بی بصیرت پا نهاده در فشار

From desire for the purchaser and warm admirer, (being) devoid of insight, he begins to talk nonsense.

ماه نادیده نشانها می‌دهد ** روستایی را بدان کژ می‌نهد

Without having seen the Moon, he gives indications: thereby he perverts (misleads) the (ignorant) countryman.

از برای مشتری در وصف ماه ** صد نشان نادیده گوید بهر جاه 1460

On account of the purchaser he gives a hundred indications describing the Moon which he has never seen, for the sake of (gaining) power.

مشتری کو سود دارد خود یکیست ** لیک ایشان را درو ریب و شکیست

There is in truth one Purchaser who is profitable, but concerning Him they (these impostors) have a (great) suspicion and doubt.

از هوای مشتری بی‌شکوه ** مشتری را باد دادند این گروه

In their desire for the inglorious purchaser, these people have thrown the (real) Purchaser to the winds.

Story of the people of Zarwán and their envy of the poor. “Our father,” they said, “from (foolish) sympathy used to give the poor the most part of the produce of his orchard.” When it was grapes, he would give a tithe; and when they were turned into raisins or syrup, he would give a tithe; and whenever he made halwá or pálúda, he would give a tithe; and he would give a tithe of the corn-sheaves, and when he threshed (the corn), he would give a tithe of the unthreshed ears mixed (with straw); and when he separated the wheat from the straw, he would give a tithe, and when he made flour, he would give a tithe; and when he leavened the dough, he would give a tithe; and when he made bread, he would give a tithe. Consequently, God most High had laid such a blessing on his orchard and crops that all the (other) owners of orchards were in need of him, both for fruit and money, while he needed nothing from any of them. His sons saw the repeated payment of tithes, and did not see the blessing, velut illa femina infelix quae veretrum asini vidit, curcurbitam non vidit. [Story of the people of Zarwán…. His sons saw the repeated payment of tithes, and did not see the blessing, just as that unfortunate woman who (only) saw the ass’s penis and did not see the gourd.]

بود مردی صالحی ربانیی ** عقل کامل داشت و پایان دانیی

There was a righteous godly man: he had perfect intelligence and a (great) foresight as to the end.

در ده ضروان به نزدیک یمن ** شهره اندر صدقه و خلق حسن

In the village of Zarwán, near Yemen, (he was) renowned for (his) almsgiving and good disposition.

کعبه‌ی درویش بودی کوی او ** آمدندی مستمندان سوی او 1475

His abode was the Ka‘ba of the poor: the distressed were (always) coming to him.

هم ز خوشه عشر دادی بی‌ریا ** هم ز گندم چون شدی از که جدا

He would give, unostentatiously, a tithe both of the ears of corn and of the wheat when it was separated from the chaff.

آرد گشتی عشر دادی هم از آن ** نان شدی عشر دگر دادی ز نان

(If) it was made into flour, he would give a tithe of that too; if it was made into bread, he would give another tithe of the bread.

عشر هر دخلی فرو نگذاشتی ** چارباره دادی زانچ کاشتی

He would never omit (to give) the tithe of any produce: he would give (the tithe) four times on that which he sowed.